Shadaze: The Unforgiven
by DarkBlaze14
Summary: Shadow doesn't typically live how anyone tells him to, but that all changes when a terrorist group releases a deadly disease over Mobius. As a survivor, he's taken to a haven away from the infection, but everything flips upside down when he questions and finds answers. And just when he thinks things couldn't get any crazier, he might be experiencing love for the first time.
1. Chapter 1

**Shadaze: The Unforgiven**

**Chapter I - Genesis**

_"You have to learn the rules of the game. **And then you have to play better than everyone else**."_

_- Albert Einstein_

* * *

A single, thin beam of light shines into a small, slightly underground chamber through a crack in the door. Several voices can be heard outside, each one menacingly bitter, growing louder as time elapses. The one inside could've been the last being on Mobius for all he knew, so, at the same time, they are rather surprising. Curiosity is high for the poor being, but capability is not, as starvation continues to embed itself upon him, weakening him like slow torture. Oh, how tables turn. How they make one unable to remember when he or she had simple things like food or clean air. When things were right. The exaggerated creak of the door opening suddenly fills the space, along with the now unmuffled voices. The crack of dim light erupts into full-blown disgrace, symbolizing hope but reassuring reality. For, beyond it, lie the barren wastelands that have become of the world.

It spread like a wildfire. Taking everything in its path. Demolishing lives and stretching possibility. Very few at this point are still alive; or at least, that's what has been assumed. It's hard to think of a king suddenly being dethroned and sentenced to work for his kingdom's peasants, but Shadow The Hedgehog, motionless, with only a wild stare indicating his consciousness, is feeling what it's like to be humiliated. To be powerless. That is, in his mind, the ultimate form of embarrassment. When controlling one's own destiny is not possible, because that one is not in his or her right mind. But leaving is not the practical decision when death is certain outside.

Two masked, brooding figures emerge, momentarily shielding the ebony hedgehog from the corroded world. Footsteps echo in the empty darkness as Shadow anticipates, only to find he is too fragile to do anything, and begins hyperventilating in his attempts to move. The figures come upon the skeleton, in all his weakness, and look at one another before nodding.

"We got a live one!"

The one on the left approaches, bends over, and takes Shadow carefully in his arms. His gaunt body quivers upon touch, and suddenly he feels an odd cross between relief and fear. The figure then carries him out into the open, and no matter how hard our protagonist tries, he can't seem to close his eyes and shield himself from what has become of his home.

Shadow thinks something terrible, wincing as he buries his head further into the figure's suit. He tries to say something to spite the whole situation, but can only mumble and moan. He wiggles a bit, and tries to grab his holder's tie, but is quickly shifted the other way. Knowing he's in trouble now, the hedgehog frantically kicks, and somehow manages to worm his way out of the figure's arms. Now face-down in the dirt, he growls, and starts to crawl away. Not to anywhere, just away. Inch by inch. Several other figures have joined now, all attired the same, all laughing hysterically at Shadow's glaring struggle.

"Ah, just end it." One of them says, indifferently.

Shadow continues to pull himself forward, but is suddenly stopped by a foot dropping like a boulder onto his ankle, snapping it in two. He tries to scream, but can't, as his body simply won't allow him to. Every ounce of energy, and it was merely an ounce to begin with, has already been used. He lets out a high-pitched whimper as more laughter erupts from the crowd behind. A sudden sharp pain ignites his senses; a needle is driven into his spine, and a substance is injected. The dark curtains of isolation finally creep together, sealing Shadow off from the holocaust.

Oh, what destruction. What _slaughter_. The tinted shadows of corruption have dawned their wickedness over Mobius. They have relentlessly sucked the life from everything that had it, and yet it seems that they want _more_. They _need_ more. It's truly amazing, the greed of some. Possibly more fantastic, the lengths some will go to in order to satisfy the sick sense. This is but the expected outcome of their wishes.

* * *

The same black-and-red hedgehog sits alone in a small bedroom, his back against one wall, staring blankly at the one running parallel to it. Legs crossed and hands placed gently on his knees, he meditates at this moment, trying desperately to prevent his mind from drifting to where it needn't be. Everything around him is white. The uniform he wears is white. The life he lives is white. Purified as if one blemish would bring life back to the way it was before the incident, which, according to popular opinion, might as well have been as horrific as the incident itself when compared to life now. The hedgehog remains in this neutral position pondering these things, not trying to draw any conclusions from them, for conclusions are blemishes. If he does find himself interpreting his ideas, he'll stand up and pace around the room, in hope that movement might throw his concentration off balance. He knows he shouldn't have these thoughts. Curiosity is without a doubt a fault of his, but when there's _so much_ left to question, it's difficult to be passive. A siren sounds off in the distance, and suddenly what seems like a million footsteps are heard just outside the door. Each set of prints plant and release, clicking against the floor until the crowd passes in favor of its rightful place. Several moments pass before there is another disturbance: three knocks at the door.

"You in there, Shadz? It's lunchtime!" A happy-go-lucky voice calls.

The ebony one closes his eyes, and sighs in a perturbed manner. "I heard the bell, Sonic."

"So c'mon! You gotta' eat, don't ya'?"

A few seconds later, the door is unlatched, and Shadow steps outside to greet his irritant. The blue hedgehog that waits for him sports a smile that seems to stretch across the hallway, only adding to the ebony one's headache. Still, however, he sees no alternative at the moment, and decides to walk alongside him. Two sets of legs covered by white pants and two pairs of feet in white shoes trudging along the white floor.

In short, Sonic and Shadow are anything but two peas in a pod. Whatever brought the two together has remained a mystery, but it is believed that Sonic did most of the talking when they first met. His persistence is possibly the one and only thing that binds them, other than the occasional intelligent conversation every other blue moon. Still, Shadow, normally a loner, and obviously the one with one foot outside the ring of the relationship, plays the role of the yin to his yang, speaking metaphorically. Something about the friendship, alliance, whatever one may call it, entices the ebony one just enough to not devise an immoral end to it. The contrast is so great, in fact, that they have been able to figure every little detail of one another out in a considerably short amount of time. One might be led to believe that they had actually known one another before the incident, but should one ever inquire about the theory, they would swear it false. They would simply swear if asked whether or not brotherhood ties them.

"So, what's up?" Blue finally asks, adding nonexistent color to the situation. "You look a little down."

Shadow keeps his eyes ahead, "It's nothing. I've just... Been thinking, is all."

Sonic laughs to himself, "About _what_? Your social life? Heheh... That'd make me sad, too..."

"_Mature_."

They reach the end of the hallway, which leads into the large and open cafeteria. Rows of white tables fill the center of the room, each one surrounded by others in the same white shirt, pants, and shoes. The preciseness of everyone almost gives off a sense of being surrounded. No one would ever guess there's only around three hundred left. Sonic and Shadow walk along the outskirts of the area, and soon come to their lunch line.

"Ah, c'mon... You know it's true." The lighter hedgehog gives a small punch, resulting in an eye roll. The line moves, and now Sonic approaches a female echidna standing at the end of it in front of a computer. He holds his wrist out underneath a scanner until it beeps, and then the lady proceeds to navigate her eyes across the screen.

"Let's see..." She says, "Hello, Mr. Sonic. Your allowed meal for today'll be two Class A's and two Class B's."

Blue pouts, "Aw... No dessert today?"

The girl smirks, "Now, now... You know what happened last time..."

"Ah, fine." Sonic sighs, and walks forward to the buffet.

Shadow brings his own wrist to his face, and squints at the tiny number line imprinted like a tattoo across it. It reads 'C-8003', meaning that his bedroom is in the C-wing of the complex, and that he was only the third one brought to Sanctuary after the D.O.N. was released. The eight stands for new, everlasting life. He places these defining symbols under the scanner.

The girl smiles. "Hey, Shadow... Let's see here... Two A's, a B, and a C, sweetie."

Ebony walks forward, and picks out two drumsticks, a scoop of corn, and a slice of cheesecake. A green-tinted drink is handed to him as he makes his way over to where Sonic is sitting. Off to the right of them, in an open room, a crowd of people are gathered around a blue cat-boy with a visor on his head, who swings and kicks atop a pedestal as if in combat. Everyone stares at a large screen above, seeing what the boy sees. Shadow, while content with his distance from the scene, takes interest in it.

On the screen, some sort of large automaton is depicted creeping through a seemingly deserted city, a dense fog impairing sight as much as darkening the scene. Crumbled, aged buildings line the streets, each one seemingly empty, but one can never be too tedious. For that reason, the robot enters one after the other, searching for some sign of life. What it will do with said life remains to be seen. The HUD on the corners of the screen tells the score of the session, about twenty thousand, and the health of the player, completely full at the moment. Inside one of the houses, in a dark room, the figure comes upon a locked chest at the end of a tattered bed. It breaks the latch, and opens the box to find several cases of ammunition. This appears to peak the interest of the bot, who begins to search every inch of the place. The guns are later found in the basement of the building, hanging on the walls, almost in an inviting way.

"Oh, _jackpot_!" Cries the crowd behind the boy.

The screen shows the player taking everything he can hold, and sprinting out to the empty streets.

Sonic speaks through the food in his mouth, nudging his friend. "So what's your high score?"

"Never played."

"_What_? What do you mean never played?" Sonic asks, slightly dumbfounded.

"I _mean_..." Shadow replies, "I don't have any interest in taking part in silly games. My pastime consists of _peace and quiet_, and that is all."

Back on the screen, the robot has made its way to a small shack, presumably populated, a little ways from the gun-house. The assumption becomes reality when the gamer approaches a small figure sleeping on the ground, and the whole scene suddenly gives off the feeling of a sly smirk. It places its weapon on its back, crouches, and, as the gamer makes a swift movement with his arms, snaps the snoozing one's neck. Points appear on the screen for a moment, and are then added to the total. The player sprints back out to the streets.

Momentum pumping, the cyborg draws its gun, ready to strike again. However, a sudden dark feeling arises when a silhouette of a figure is seen off in the distance in the player's peripheral vision, standing under some trees. The crowd gasps, and before the player can react, a sort of whizzing sound dominates all senses, and the automaton begins to slowly fall over like a large tree. The screen darkens, and the infamous '_game over_' sign appears next to the gamer's final score.

"_Err_!" The boy throws his helmet, and stomps his foot. "I _hate_ that guy!"

Sonic chuckles, and turns back to his food. "Aw, poor kid. Could've milked that hideout forever."

Ebony glances back at the dispersing crowd, and shakes his head. "I just don't see the pull in it."

"So what do you do, then?" Sonic asks, in all seriousness.

Shadow pauses for a few moments, and then stares into his eyes. "I know your game, Sonic. You try to crack me. I'm not an open person."

Blue smirks, "Yeah, I _know_. You're like a _serial killer_."

Suddenly, their attention turns to several figures in white aprons walking down the rows of tables, pushing carts with syringes laid out on them. They stop at each individual for a moment and give them a chance to settle down before injecting a substance, throwing the needle away, and continuing on pushing the cart down the line.

Sonic groans, "Again? _Seriously_? Didn't we just-?"

"Oh, stop whining." Shadow interrupts. "It's not that bad." His bravado is short-lived, however, as two nurses approach Sonic and him simultaneously. He nods, and his stomach drops as the long needle is drawn. Shadow winces as it is slid up into a vein in his wrist, and remains there until all is displaced into his bloodstream. The nurse quickly removes the syringe, places a band-aid over the insertion point, and, without a word, is on her way.

The cobalt one rubs at his wrist, "Gah... _Good God_. That one left a sting." He fixes his eyes on his friend, "This is getting ridiculous."

The darker one looks at the bandage, and then to the nurse, now across the room. "I _know_. They're coming more often." He sighs, "You'd think it's trying to wear off."

Sonic shrugs, "Well... You know Him. Can never be too careful."

"I know." Shadow looks around again, and leans in for a whisper. "I just... I was actually just thinking about all that. All this, I mean. It all seems a little..." He pauses, and his eyes widen. He drops his gaze, and stares off into a fantasy. "Just-just a little..." He clutches his head, wincing, trying to resist whatever has overcome him. Finally, he slams his fist on the table, and screams. After a dreadful silence, a tightness forms in the ebony one's chest, and he quickly stands and turns away, leaving Sonic absolutely dazed.

Shadow paces himself back to his room, careful to not look different from those around him. He keeps his mouth tightly shut the whole way, restraining himself, until his door is quietly shut behind him. Breathing heavily, he falls to the floor, crawls over to the far wall, and sits against it. He pulls off his shirt and brings his hands to his face, focusing on nothing but getting through the moment. Sweat pours off his face and rolls down his chest, completely soaking the white patch of fur on it. He stands, using the foot of the bed to support himself, and remains still for a few moments with a feeling of weightlessness in his head. After regaining his balance, he makes his way over to his nightstand, where a bottle of water sits. The hedgehog snatches it and takes a quick gulp, hoping that dehydration is the problem. On the contrary, the tightness shoots up to his throat as the liquid is making its way down, and the inevitable is now upon him. He runs to the bathroom and leans over the toilet, where he vomits everything he ate. The release is relieving but daunting, as he is not familiar to the situation. Quivering, he grabs a few tissues, and wipes away the remains on his mouth before flushing away any trace of the scene.

The hedgehog plops onto his bed and grabs his forehead, swearing. His breathing finally slows down after a few moments, and soon he almost feels at ease. He reaches over and takes another sip of his water, trying to wash the taste out of his mouth. He lays for a while, watching the door as if an intruder will come if he takes his eyes off it. Now that he's mostly in his right mind, he curses himself and, for that matter, everything about the world. He stands, and plants his palms on the white wall next to the bathroom, trying to decipher what actually just happened to him.

A knock sounds at his door again, "_Shadow_? You okay?"

"Y-yeah... I'm fine." He hesitates, "Just get in here."

Sonic enters, and immediately shoots a questioning glance at the situation.

"Lock the door." Shadow says, turning and sliding down the wall to the floor. The blue one does so, and sits down, legs crossed, a few feet in front of the other hedgehog. After few painful moments of silence, and after it is made sure that no threat is present, the darker hedgehog whispers, "I... I had a vision..."

"A _vision_? _What_? Why are we whispering? Why's your shirt off?"

"_Sh_! Pipe down!" He snaps, "I don't want anyone to hear this!" Shadow adjusts himself, and starts again. "I just got done puking my guts up, and these shirts are tight as hell. I had a _vision_. I... I don't know what it was... But my mind just went blank. I saw nothing but... But me... I can't even remember what it was about." He draws closer to his confidant, "But, I think it was trying to tell me something..."

Sonic keeps a straight face for as long as he can before exploding with laughter. "Wh-_what_?!" He clutches his gut, "Do you hear yourself?"

"_Shhhh_! What part of '_pipe down_' don't you get?!"

"Shadow, this is crazy, and you know it." Sonic replies, "Why do you always have to find some sort of meaning behind everything? Just accept what happened, and move on. It's okay! They're all gone now! What do you worry about so much?" Several moments pass without an answer. "The vision... It's probably just a side-effect from the injection. I think you should be more worried about throwing up. Do you want me to go get a nurse, or-?"

"No!" Shadow suddenly intervenes. He then settles down, aware of his own excitement. "Nobody can know about this..."

The blue one's blank stare followed by a chuckle pulls the emergency brake on the conversation. He shakes his head, "Okay. Whatever you say, buddy." He stands, and heads for the door.

Ebony pursues him, and halts him with an extended hand. "Seriously..." He grabs Sonic's shoulders, and looks into his eyes with the most serious face. "This _never happened_."

For the slightest moment, Sonic sees the barbarous nature of Shadow's gaze. The blue one sees the concern, and almost becomes concerned himself, but ends up smiling and shrugging the feeling off. He makes a zipper motion with his fingers and his lips, "You have my word." With that, he leaves Shadow in the emptiness of the room, the bright light on the ceiling beaming down, exponentially magnifying the white around him. The hedgehog takes a few steps, and sits in the middle of the blankness, his knees on his chin. He rocks slowly to and fro, trying desperately not to think, trapped in his own paradise, his own silence.

* * *

Underneath it all, several rooms all used for the same purpose make up base of the complex. The one in the center is the largest, and, as always, the most populated. Inside it, small desks are linked together to make a large circle in the middle of the room, and more line the walls. Each one plays host to a worker, who works diligently and hastily on his or her given task. These workers are like seeds to a watermelon; plentiful, but necessary. They carry the workload of the Sanctuary, and never miss an irregular heartbeat in doing so.

The bright glow of a computer shines on the face of a man in the darkness of the room, reflecting in his glasses. He comes upon something, and leans back in his chair. "It seems there's been a disturbance, sir, with one of the citizen's bodies." He calls.

Moments later, a black silhouette appears behind him. "A disturbance? With whom?"

The man does some scanning, "Uh, Citizen Double-O-Three, sir."

"I need a name, son."

One click later, a profile is pulled up on the screen. "Shadow The Hedgehog, sir."

"Ah, Shadow..." A white smile becomes visible, and then fades. "That's... Odd... He's one of the only-" The figure pauses, and leans forward to take a closer look at the screen. "Do we know what sort of disturbance?"

"No, sir..." The man nervously says, looking over his information once more. "It appears that connection was disrupted before anything could be downloaded."

The hidden figure stands upright again, and ponders. "Hmph..." He strokes his cheek, "It's probably nothing major." He begins to turn and walk away, but catches himself before he's out of earshot. "Let's just keep an extra eye on him... Just in case."

The man nods, and proceeds to tap away at his keyboard, each tick adding to the millions of ticks around him that fill the silence of the room, add individual lights to the darkness, and carry hundreds of stories through the walls.

* * *

Shadow has tossed and turned all through the night. Not that it's anything new; most nights, in fact, he decides to forego sleep simply to deal with his inner turmoil. He quickly decides that it had been a horrid plan to try and rest his eyes on this particular night, as it's almost painful to him to lie down. Thought is a curse, not a blessing, and currently it feels like little knives are being driven into his skull with each subject matter that passes through his mind. Memories haunt him, and each time he attempts to make something of his past, he comes upon a new realization that further provokes his brain, and he becomes severely confused. Finally, after hours of keeping his eyes closed and lying to himself that he's asleep, Shadow jerks up, and runs his hands over his face. He pulls at the torso of his shirt, as he once again feels sealed inside it. He sees the door to his right, but in the same moment feels a sudden heaviness dawn on him that prevents movement. He knows that it's locked from the outside, anyways. He's tried before. It will stay locked until daylight, just as it always has. Sometimes, he longs for the stars. He never realized how easy it might be to forget what they look like. Stars symbolize hope. If one can simply look up after sunset and clearly see these things that are trillions of lightyears away, who knows what's possible?

Ah, hope. The very motive of one's existence. Hope can be many different things to many different people - it can be a celebration, a painkiller, or maybe, even, if used in the past tense, an annoyance. Shadow The Hedgehog would never admit it, but he used to, in some distant past before his world caved in, hope for _love_. The companionship of another absolutely fascinated him; two souls bound together through thick and thin, no matter the circumstances. How it could even be possible! He's always been a thinker, but every time he tries to consider the question, something pulls him away. As if his mind prefers that it remains a mystery to him. He's truly not sure if he even _wants_ to know anymore. With his newfound callous nature, even if an opportunity would present itself to him to reveal an answer to it all, he'd be sure to miss it. Not that it would matter anyway, given his current position.

But it's been a while for him. It's like there _is_ no more hope; like this is all his life will ever be. Surrounded by empty space. Sometimes, when he's sure no one could possibly read his mind if they were capable of doing so (moments like this, in fact), he ponders if all this is worth living forever. Or if, in fact, survival in the first place was worth it. Sometimes, he curses Zizan and everything they did, because, well, they did everything. That disease. Disease Of Nothing. Named after what was left behind after the virus had made its rounds. It's _still_ out there. Still lurking in the air. Shadow cringes, and shuts his eyes tight at the thought of it.

_"I guess I never really had a choice in the matter..."_ He mumbles to himself, turning over again. After contemplating the situation as a whole for another half-hour or so, he decides, for the moment, that the worst case scenario is far behind him, and that the alternative fate chose for him should be accepted gratefully. Still, he knows that his complacency will not last for long. Soon enough, he will be up, pacing around the room again, fearful of what evils might enter his mind next. He knowingly, yet unwillingly, allows the thoughts to weight his eyelids, forcing him over the bridge from thoughtful, blemished reality to deep, narrow slumber.

* * *

**(( A/N: What's up peoples?:D Welcome to my newest fic! I've been planning and planning its debut since... Oh, January or so, (I wish I was kidding...) so I'm very excited about this! I hope it turned out alright.;) For reasons unknown, I've decided that I'm only going to do one other A/N this story, (and that'll obviously be at the end) so I suppose I should explain myself now.**

**First off, let me just say, to those who don't already know, that I'm planning on making this fic GREAT. Like, _really_ good. Or, at least... I'm trying to...X,D That's my main motivation for writing it, at least. You all know I'm never confident about my writing, but this is simply the best story idea I've ever come up with. Period.:p **

**I'm not saying that I'm only writing this for glory... But... Uh, that would sure be nice.X3 So, if ya' like this story and think it's awesome, tell some friends! Spread the word! Tweet it, hashtag it, take a selfie with it, go crazy!XD Because this is gonna' be good, I _promise. _And, uh... It kinda' took six months of me going ultra-perfectionist to write the first chapter... So I could use some motivation!XP **

**Which brings me to my challenge for this story: CAN WE GET TO 100 REVIEWS?:O :O :O (#totallydidntjustbegforreviewsdontlookatme) :O :O :O ;D ( If I don't meet that, it's not the end of the world. I'd just like to see if it's possible.X,D )**

**But of course, that includes criticism, complaints, flames, the whole nine yards. I want this to be the best possible experience for you guys, so never hesitate to tell me what I can improve on, m'kay?;) Together, we can make this amazing!;D**

**So, uh, yeah! This'll be my first Shadaze fic!:D Yes, I normally bleed Silvaze, but I don't hate the couple, and they definitely fit the plot line best.X) I'm looking forward to it, though. Should be interesting.;3 **

**This is actually going to end up being more canon than you think, but... Ya' know.X,)**

**Updates are going to come as often as I can make them...:/**

**Hmm... I think that about does it for me! I hope you all enjoy, and I guess I'll see you all on the other side!:D**

**Thanks for reading! Love you all! ))**


	2. Chapter 2

**(( A/N: Sorry, going back on my word here, but I forgot to mention one important thing! I keep status updates of all my fics on my profile's bio, so if you're ever curious about how far along I am with the latest update for this story, just check there!:D**

**Also, had to cut this chapter a little short so I could get it published. Sorry 'bout that. Thanks for being patient, this takes a lot of thought to turn out (near) just right. Y'all are champs!:)**

**Okay, see ya' on the other side! For real this time!XD ))**

* * *

**Shadaze: The Unforgiven**

**Chapter II - Numbers**

* * *

The next morning, a drowsy Shadow makes his way down a grand hallway on the A-wing of the Sanctuary. Shamefully enough, he's never traveled the path before; he's never really had a reason to. He enjoys the confinement of his room, and the relaxation he occasionally receives from staying there. Of course, after the events of the previous day, he's decided it best to venture out a little. He's actually quite angry with it all, how he was never in control of his actions. Now that he _is_, he feels like making a few decisions. Even simple ones, like where to walk or who to talk to. They may not be the brightest ones, but to Shadow, it's better than the risk of literally thinking himself to death. He averages about one acquaintance per wing of the building, and there is no telling what has drawn him to this one. Soon, he comes upon a door that sports a number he had remembered from a previous event - a number he never would've guessed he might need. He lowers his brow, and sighs embarrassedly before knocking upon it. This whole thing is one embarrassment. He's just glad no harm came to him via the higher levels because of it.

"Who is it?" A sing-song voice calls from inside.

The hedgehog hesitates, not sure if he should turn away or face his chosen adventure. He calls back, keeping his voice low but audible. "It's... It's Shadow."

"Well, _crikey_! C'mon in, mate!"

He rolls his eyes before entering, and immediately the sight of an orange raccoon with her face against the far wall strikes him. The hedgehog runs his hand over his forehead and eyes, "Oh, _Hell_..."

"Hi, Shadow!" She exclaims, wearing a wide, excited smile. This is not seen, of course, as she does not bother to remove herself from her original position. "What brings ya' here?"

Ebony ignores the question, and shakes his head after wincing. He speaks slowly, "What are you doing?"

"_Oh_! Right!" She laughs, turning to face her visitor. "Y'see, I figured out that when I stare at the wall for a very long time-"

Shadow shakes his head, holding out his hands. "_Nevermind_. Listen, Marine, I need to ask you something."

She walks over, and sits on her bed. "What's that?"

This relationship might be the most perplexing of the lot, as Marine is possibly the only being in (what's left of) the world that is more unlike Shadow than Sonic. Again, no one really has a clue how these two came about; it is supposed that Shadow once became caught in one of her endless rambles, but it seemed to entertain him more than annoy him. He might, strangely, be the only one left that can put up with the girl. Truthfully, Marine is anything but one to go to for wisdom, but since Sonic had shown no appetite for assistance yesterday, so be it. When Shadow's thoughts are meaningful, he sees no paths to confidence nor assurance without sharing them.

"Do you, uh... Do you ever have... _Suspicions_?"

"About what?"

Shadow takes a moment to gather his thoughts, "Just... _Everything_. What we've been through. How we got here. Where we are now." The raccoon tilts her head, perplexed. "You mean you don't think anything of it?"

"_Oi_! Don't sit there, mate. Chair's broken."

Ebony stops, just before seating himself. "_What_? How did you-?"

"Well, see I was standin' on it, and-"

"Oh, save your breath." He interrupts, halting another subject change. "I'm serious though, don't you ever... Just think about it?"

Marine looks away, and suddenly, before Shadow's eyes, her whole persona changes. Her serious look almost deviates his focus away from what she says: "_Do I ever think about it_? I mean... Ye, 'course I do. Don't we all? I think about what everything was like before the whole disaster or whatevah." She smiles, "Have I ever told you about how much I loved the water?"

"_Too much_."

The raccoon sighs, "But now it's all gone. I don't know, I guess it changed me a little. A lot, maybe. I _act_ now what I used to _be_, all happy and such. But I just can't." She looks to him, "I know sometimes it seems like I have a few 'roos loose in the top paddock, but truth is, I really just miss the way things were. I don't know what to do anymore."

Shadow's jaw drops before he can rejoin, "Wow. I... I didn't expect that from you, Marine..."

"But, a-anyways," She shakes off the mournful feelings, "Why ya' ask?"

Ebony leans against the wall, and crosses his arms. His tone lowers, "Because _I've_ been getting suspicious lately. I just think it's odd we never see this '_Lord_' of ours, the one who supposedly _built_ this place and _brought us here_. You'd think we'd at least know his true identity. And nobody's ever seen a picture of what the world's like _now_ - who knows? There could be _life_ outside of this place. Maybe the disease died out - or is _dying_ out - maybe one day we'll be able to go back and live like we were before all of this. But it's like they don't even _consider_ that! How long has it been that we've been here?"

"Year and a half, about." She answers, quietly.

"_Exactly_!" Shadow pleads, "So why does it feel like we're still getting to know this place?"

Marine giggles, "Well, mate, in _your_ case-"

"You know what I mean."

She shrugs, "Strewth. I can't disagree."

He sighs, "I don't know. I just don't know. It's all very strange. I shouldn't think these things."

"I mean, hey, we're alive, right?"

Shadow turns, and bows his head to think on the matter. "Indeed we are." Upon doing so, he also notices a black item sticking out from behind Marine's nightstand. He bends over and takes it in his hand, simultaneously realizing what it is: a small marker. He looks to the raccoon, "Where did you find this?"

Marine looks at the writing instrument, and laughs. "_Oh_! That's where that went. I dunno', I think I found it on the floor in the hall."

"May I keep it?" She nods as a response, and Shadow makes his way to the door, still studying the 'impurity', one might say, of the thing. He turns before quitting the room, "Thank you, Marine."

"Come back anytime, mate!" She smiles, as if the previous conversation has already wormed its way out of the clutches of her memory.

Ebony once again retreats to his quarters, trying not to draw any unwanted attention to himself. His efforts are successful, and he hastily shuts himself inside his room once he reaches the desired door. Thankful to be out of any possible eyesight, he takes a moment to relax in the silence. Before long, he walks over to his own nightstand, and places the marker on it. He then sits on the floor next to his bed, where he soon loses himself in deep meditation.

* * *

A very quiet lunch table is where Shadow finds himself a few hours later. With a cleared conscience, he solemnly and mechanically eats his given meal, content with whatever mindset he's in. Sonic is off playing the video game, and a large crowd has subsequently surrounded him. Shadow too watches him from a distance. The television is at such an angle that he can't quite pick out what's going on, but Blue has been up there for a while. The crowd seems more absorbed than in the occasion yesterday, but that could simply be a product of Sonic's reputation.

However, the fact that a milestone has been reached becomes realized when joyous shouts erupt from the gathering. More quickly rush to the scene to admire the high score. Sonic is hoisted and carried around the room. Shadow, for the most part, attempts to ignore the jubilation.

Blue soon joins him at the table, after he receives a few more pats on the back. He sighs deeply, "_Man_... I can't believe you haven't played that thing."

Shadow finally looks up, and almost gasps at how bloodshot his acquaintance's eyes are. He narrows his brow, "How long were you on that thing?"

Sonic thinks, then shrugs. "I dunno'. Seven hours straight, give or take."

Ebony shakes his head, "I believe that's past unhealthy, Sonic."

"Speaking of unhealthy, did ya' ever see a nurse yesterday?"

"_No_." Is the quick answer, "I told you that I'm not-"

Sonic shakes his head, "And _why_? What's gotten into you?"

"_I'm_ perfectly fine." Shadow remarks, half-heartedly. "It's everything around me. Something's not right, Sonic. I'm telling y- _oh_, don't look at me like that. I'm not in the mood for a rebuttal."

"But you're being so stupid!"

"I am _not_!" Ebony exclaims, "If anything, _you're_ the one expressing ignorance!"

Blue's expression softens, "Look, Shadow... You lost a lot. We _all_ did. And I get that it's hard to live through, but beating yourself up over it won't help anything. Just be glad we're-"

"How can I be _glad_?!" Shadow snaps, his tone changing to a sharp whisper. "How can I be glad that we're going to spend the _rest of eternity_ in this place?! Did you not have any ambitions?! How are you content with this? How can _I_ be-?" He stops, and takes a few moments to calm himself again. "I... It's something about my past."

"What?"

"What's been bugging me. Something about my past." Shadow restates, "When I think about how life used to be for me... It's like there's something _missing_."

Sonic tilts his head, "Like what?"

"I don't know." Is the accepting reply, "There's something I just can't quite put my finger on."

"Then how do you know something's missing in the first place?" Blue laughs.

"Oh, _shut it_. I don't need your reason."

"No! _Really_! I wanna' know more now."

Shadow shakes his head, "You're impossible."

Sonic chuckles again, and stays silent until his friend finishes the last of his food. "You should come play The Cleansing. It'll take your mind off things."

"I don't need mindless games to aid me." Shadow remarks, obstinately.

Blue grins, "True, you _need_ medication. I thought the game could be a nice substitute."

Ebony stands, and turns to face the hallway to the right. "I think I'll pass."

"Oh, don't tell me you're going back to your room!"

"What's it to you?"

Sonic stands as well, and puts his hand on Shadow's shoulder as he walks past. "C'mon, let's go outside."

This 'outside' is not what one would think, of course, as the true outside might as well be nonexistent. The outermost part of the Sanctuary is but a long balcony that stretches all the way around the complex, really a useless addition to the grand scheme. It is rarely ever inhabited, as there is not much to see. If one were to lean over the rail of the terrace, nothing but darkness stretching to infinity would be seen. This gap in time (which is also fairly useless except for, say, suicide) stretches outwards for around ten feet, where the inside of the 'bubble' resides. Yes, a bubble seems the most suitable word. No one really knows what it is or what to call it, but it is some way of quarantining the area so the infection can't reach the Sanctuary. The bubble is slightly translucent, to where one can barely make out the sky above. There is no sun, however, and come nighttime no stars will be visible. Not that they don't shine; in fact, no one can be certain the stars _aren't_ visible. Everyone is locked up in their rooms far before the brightness of the day fades.

Sonic and Shadow lean against the rail, looking out to the blue-and-white possibilities. The blueness also stretches outwards, leading some to believe that the Sanctuary is actually placed _in_ the sky. Theories have of course come and gone amongst the residents, but the subject is widely deemed insignificant.

Sonic gives his arms a stretch before placing his hands back on the rail. "So _that's_ what's been making you act this crazy? A lost memory?"

Shadow sighs, "If it was that simple, I'd have an answer for you."

"But you think that vision had something to do with it?"

Ebony adjusts his gaze to the darkness below. "I don't know what it could've been. I didn't get a chance to really chase it. It was gone before I could register anything I saw."

The silence resumes, and remains for quite a while without break. "What do you believe, Shadow? What do you really think?"

A vague question, yes, but its meaning is understood. After some deep thought, a true response is never formed. Shadow finally scratches his head, frustrated. "I'm not sure if I'll ever figure it out. It's like nothing seems just about it. Just thrown into this place, never to return..." Another silence insists.

Sonic looks to his companion, examining his tired and disbelieving expression. "Well..." He ruptures the stillness, "You've got more balls than me for considering it. That's for sure."

"Hm. _Thanks_. That's what I was going for." Ebony turns again.

"Going back to your room?"

"I am."

Sonic chuckles, and slouches once more on the rail. "Alright then. See ya' tomorrow, Shadz."

Now inside his cave, Shadow sits on the floor again, marveling at the far wall. For whatever reason, while speaking with Sonic, another 'vision' baffled him; one not as sudden and, obviously, not as emotional. Everything through Shadow's eyes has turned a deep tint of red. He sits here, staring at the crimson oblivion, just trying to make sense of it. After some time, the color fades, and suddenly the white wall is completely covered in numbers. Thousands of small black numbers, it seems, some more prominent than others, and some in lengthy combinations. The hedgehog squints in disbelief, and stands to examine the spectacle. He puts his hand to the wall, but the numbers don't fade. They are all changing at different times, similar to a coding system of some sort. Shadow does his best to study them quickly, but after realizing that they aren't leaving any time soon, he decides to sit and continue his amazement with it all. He slows his breathing to stay calm. The numbers spread to the other walls, and before long he is surrounded by them. Something catches his eye after examining the new sets and combinations, something unexplainable. He takes another look around before slowly fixing his eyes on the black marker, still sitting quietly on the nightstand.

Time graces Shadow with but one more second of control before he suddenly becomes overwhelmed with a new struggle. He begins sweating and hyperventilating again, and quickly flings off his cage of a shirt. He buries his face in his forearms, now lying on his side, and brings his elbows to his knees. Without warning, the fantasy assumes complete dominance of his senses, and he becomes lost in its force.

Everything is stained with bright white splotches. Shadow looks around and barely make out a few wires around him along with a yellow light above, but it is all very blurry. A large figure approaches, colored a mixture of orange, peach, and red. It seems threatening at first, but after a few incoherent, soft-spoken mumbles, Shadow decides the contrary. He can't remember anything prior to these events.

"Ah, _finally_. Hello there, my friend." Are the first words Shadow can clearly comprehend. The figure moves in closer, and extends his hand. This makes the hedgehog adjust himself. "No, no, don't be afraid. I just want to show you around."

After thinking on it, Shadow grabs the hand, which proceeds to help him out of whatever he was trapped inside. Ebony takes a few wobbly steps, but soon gains his balance. Everything is still a blur as he begins to walk alongside the figure, down a bridge to the main part of the building. The man who has helped him continues to speak, but his words are horribly muffled. The white splotches still hinder any clear vision, and suddenly an external force turns him down a hallway to the right. The man is confident but slow in his stride, a trait that Shadow quickly attempts to replicate. The two walk for what seems like forever, one silent and the other speaking without an audience. Finally, after many twists and turns, they stop at a doorway, and the man turns to face the hedgehog.

He sighs before speaking, directly to Shadow this time. "You're going to have a rough future. A _very_ rough future. You'll be confused about many of the things you see; you'll be curious about what those around you do. You may not understand this yet, but there are a lot of people out there who want to hurt you. You're with _me_ now, and I _will_ protect you." He places a hand on Ebony's shoulder. "I'll do my very best to educate you on what you need to know, but it's going to be complicated. You won't..." His words fade to a slur once more.

The door opens to reveal a young girl, aged somewhere from ten to thirteen years, sitting quietly at a desk. She holds a tight grip on a pencil, staring intently into the notebook she writes in. Upon hearing the two enter, she turns her head, and locks her blue eyes on Shadow's crimson. Her blonde hair parts in the middle, and flows down past her shoulders like a golden waterfall. Her smile is warm and inviting. It is selfless, without corruption or envy. It is free of evil, free of sin. The most attractive characteristic of it, however, is that her smile is _truthful_.

In reality, Shadow is left on the floor, twitching, completely submerged in unconsciousness until morning.


End file.
